The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-09-21
"On the fourth day I trudged along

weary and dispirited. Iknew the In
dians were not giving chase, but I didn't
know how soon 1 might meet another
band. I came to shallow stream and
waded across. AS started to climb the
bank 1 was struck by the appearance of
the soil. scratched about little and
found that gold was plentiful. For
while forgot my fatigue and drovetwo
sticks down to indicate my claim. l
slept near by that night, when l
awokc the sun was up, and two rough
looking white men, armed with rifles,
were standing near me. tried to get
up but fell back exhausted. The men
came forward and asked me how came
threre, and what my business was. l
explained my escape from the Indians,
and then they treated me better. They
picked me up and carried me to a small
house some little distance away. When
they entered the house an Indian woman,
who proved to be the wife of one of the
men, assisted them to put me on few
skins spread upon the floor. A half breed
girl, tall and handsome, about seventeen
or eighteen years old, the daughter, was
in the house, and paid scarcely any at
tcntion to my entrance. was feverish
from hunger and wanted to gorge at
once, but they gave me food in small
quantities. For two days I did not stir
from the house. In my delirium must
have talked about the claims / had
staked, for as soon as 1 became lucid l
noticed that change had taken place in
the people. I resolved to play delirious
in order to discover their plans. 1 raved
and talked incoherently, and finally cried
out: I'll come back and work my
claim
"The two men were present. They
looked at each other and one said:
That settles it; if he doesn't die of fever
he must never leave here alive. He'll
have thousand people here in less than
q month.
"The other responded coolly: 'Yes;
We'll do him up if he happens to get
we'll I am sorry we didn't leave him to
die the morning we found him.
well, that talk settled me. I resolved
to escape that night. l could not, be-
cause | found I was prisoner. The In
dian woman remained awake all night
at the door. In the daytime they fire.
quently left me alone, and then I man
aged to get at the food and eat enough to
strengthen me. The second night the
husband of the Indian woman kept
watch. The next day I was naturally
sleepy and slept soundly until noon. Then
l awoke and raved in weaker tone of
voice, as if I were gradually sinking.
The half-breed girl, noticed, was sleep
ing all the afternoon. Before sunset she
awoke, and her mother said to her in
the Sioux language which I understood:
Tacoma, the stranger may die to-mor-
row. Tonight you will have to watch
him.
Tacoma replied: 'Oh, why not get
rid of him to-night2 We do not wish to
be bothered with him further
"They then discussed in detail my
chances of getting we'll. The girl picked
up large hunting knife and looked at
ME. Her mother motloned her to
pat the knife down. I believe
/ would have been settled then and
there but for that girls mother. I
made up my mind to escape that night,
no matter if had to fight my way out.
1t was bright moonlight night, and I
felt that 1 stood good chance to have
rifle bullet put in me at long range in
making dash for liberty and life. The
girl took a seat near the door and the
others soon fell asleep. My rifle was
standing in the corner and my large
hunting knife was on the pallet. Why
they left the knife so near me is a mys-
terry, unless they expected me to use it
when eating jerked beef. Tacoma's
death watch on ME began at nine o'clock.
For two hours she scarcely moved in her
chair and appeared deeply engrossed in
thought. 1 remained perfectly quiet and
at long intervals groaned feebly, as if my
end was near. Between eleven and
twelve o'clock she rose and looked at
me. dared not open my eyes. Then
she turned and walked stealthily to the
door, and to my great joy, opened it and
went out. In second was on my feet,
secured my rifle and had my knife ready
for action. With cat-like tread Preached
the door and stepped out into the broad
glare of the moonlight. The girl was
nowhere to be seen. I had resolved to
level my rifle and threaten to shoot her
if she made an outcry or tried to prevent
my escape. I turned to the right
of the house and reached the corner,
intending to run down to the creek.
Tacoma reached the corner from the
other direction just as 1 did, and we
collidcd She seized me and gave
loud yell. 1t was all too sudden for me
to reflect, forgot she was woman
and plunged by knife to the hit in her
bosom. AS she fell I sprang over her
body and made for the creek. l heard
the two mn coming and knew that
could not escape them by flight. got
behind the banks of the creek and shot
them both down before they came with
in fifty yards of me. do not know to
this day whether they are dead.
During the night I fled to the south
and when daylight came 1 was many
miles away. If that girl Tacoma had
not"
Canyon Joe's sentence was never
The half-brccd scout who had
listened intently, without moving
muscle, to the cold -blooded recital
sprang over the fire TINT separated him
from Joe and buried his large hunting
knife to the hilt in the heart of the man
who killed the beautiful Tacoma. Joe
expired without q groan and before any
of US could interpose the scout had cut
his scalp clean from his head.
Tacoma was the assassn's sister, and
he explained that Joe murdered her in